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(No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 1.

. S; WHITLOOK. BED OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES.

No; 406,320. Patented July 2, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. WHITLOOK.

BED OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES.

, No. 406,320. Patented July 2, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STURGES WVHITLOCK, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VIIITLOCK MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BED-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CYLINDER PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,320, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed April 16, 1888. Serial N0.270,840. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STURGES WHITLooK, of Birmingham, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Bed-Operating Mechanisms for Cylinder Printing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be IO afull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of so much of the printingpress as necessary to illustrate the invention; Fig. 2, a portion of the frame of the machine and forward end portion of the type-bed and rack, illustrating the action of the cam as the type-bed reaches its extreme rear movement, enlarged; Fig. 3, the same portion of the type-bed and rack with the cam E in the extreme forward movement, illustrating the operation of the cam as the bed approaches its extreme forward movement; Fig. 4, a transverse section showing rear view of the cam E and its arm H; Figs. 5 and 6, modifications in the rack-lifting mechanism.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of cylinder printing-presses in which the cylinder makes two revolutions to each impression or to each full reciprocation of the bed, the type-bed passing beneath the cylinder. The cylinder is necessarily geared to the type-bed in the advance movement of the bed, in order to insure a perfect uniformity of surface movement between the two;

but as the cylinder revolves always in the same direction and the type-bed must return, it is therefore necessary that the gear-connection between the cylinder and the bed be broken for the return of the bed. The gearconnection between the bed and cylinder is produced by a segment-gear on the end of the cylinder and a corresponding rack on the side of the type-bed. lleretofore the rack has been movable bodily up'and down, so that it rises into position to engage with the segment on the cylinder for the advance movement of the bed, and then after the advance movement is completed the rack drops bodily, so as to take it out of the path of the seg- 5o ment.

By movement of the rack bodily I mean a like up-and-down movement of the rack throughout, the rack being supported in vertical guides, so that both ends move up and down alike. WVhile this accomplishes the result, it complicates the machineryot' the press and gives less stability to the rack than is desirable.

The object of my invention is to make a positive connection between the rack and type-bed, yet allow of such a movement of the rack as will take it out of the path of the segment; and it consists in hinging the rack at its rear end to the side of the bed leaving the forward end free to rise and fall, and so that a vertical vibratory movement may be imparted to the said .rack, that its forward end may be dropped on the return of the bed, and so that when the segment on the cylinder again comes into range of the rack the teeth on the rack will be so far below the teeth of the segment that they may escape each other, and then as the bed completes its rear movement the forward end of the rack is again raised, to bring the teeth of the rack into the path of the teeth of the segment on the cylinder.

A represents the cylinder, and B the reciprocating type-bed, of aprinting-press of common construction, the mechanism for imparting the reciprocating movement to the bed and the rotary movement to the cylinder. not being fully illustrated, as such mechanism is immaterial to the present invention.

C represents the toothed segment on the end of the cylinder, which is adapted to engage the rack D on the bed. Broadly considered, so far as the engagement is concerned the rack and segment operate as in the usual 0 construction.

The rack D is hinged at its forward end to the side of the bed, as at a, but so as to be firmly'held to the bed, yet leave its other end free for up and down vibratory movement, as from the position shown at the left to that shown in broken lines at the right.

On the side of the bed and near the forward end of the rack a cam E is hung upon an axis F, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) the cam being inside the rack. This cam works between two studs 1) (Z on the rack. The cam is adapted for oscillating movement between the said two studs Z) (Z. Its higher face, when beneath the stud I), as seen in Fig. 2, brings the rack to its elevated working position, and its depressed surface permits the stub b to escape from the higher surface so that the rack drops to its inclined position, as seen in Fig. 8. The highet face works against the stud d, to compel the descent of that end of the rack. The cam is provided with an arm G, extending forward, and a similar arm H, extending rearward.

On the frame of the machine is a stationary cam e, at a point with relation to the arm H of the cam E corresponding to the extreme rear position of the type-bed, as seen in Fig. 1 and also seen in Fig. 2, and so that the forward end of the rack being dropped in its advance position when the bed returns, and as it approaches its extreme rear posit-ion, the arm II rides up the cam c, as indicated in Fig. 2, causing the elevated portion of the cam E to pass beneath the stud I), and thereby raise the rack, as seen in Fig. 2. The raising of the arm II correspondingly depresses the arm G, so that now the arm G stands in its down position, as seen in Fig. 2.

A cam f similar to the cam e is arranged upon the bed at a point corresponding to the arm G as the bed reaches its extreme forward or advance position and as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. As the bed approaches its extreme forward movement, the depressed arm G rides up the cam f, causing that arm to turn and impart a corresponding oscillatorymovement to the cam E, which throws the elevated portion of the cam E from beneath the stud Z), and the cam E, acting upon the stud (Z, forces the rack to descend, as seen in Fig. 3 and as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 1. The raising of the arm G causes a corresponding depression of the arm H, so that now the arm H is in position to engage with the cam e as the bed next returns to produce the rise of the forward end of the rack, as before described. The bed of the press commences its rear movement while the advancing end of the segment comes to a point where it would naturally engage the rack; but the forward end of the rack has then passed so far to the rear that the inclination of the rack from its rear end is so great that the teeth of the segment will escape the teeth of the rack. Thus the bed and rack will pass free to their extreme rear position, at the termination of which the forward en d of the rack will be again raised,and then as the bed and rack advance the segment and rack will engage as if the segment were a rigid and immovable part of the type-bed. Under this arrangement the rack is held firmly to the bed and without expensive guides to support it, as in the case of arackmovablebodily up and down, and the complicated mechanism neeessary to impart such bodily movement to the rack is also avoided, thus not only simplifying the mechanism of the press, but reducing its costto a very considerable extent.

It will be understood that the stud or bearing 7), which serves to raise the rack, may be employed without the stud or bearing (l; but I prefer to employ the bearing (1, because it insures the descent of the rack so soon as its bearing 1) escapes from the elevation of the cam.

Instead of the cam E as means for raising and supporting the free end of the rack other mechanism may be employedas, for illustration, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, in which a toggle is applied to the free end of the rack, the extreme end of one part of the toggle hung to the type-bed and the extreme end of the other part hung to the rack, and so that when the toggle is straight the rack will be elevated; but when the central joint of the toggle is thrown out of line then the free end of the rack will drop. Under this construction a stationary point is provided on the frame, against which the central joint of the toggle will strike as it approaches its extreme rear movement, as seen .in Fig. 5, and then in completing that rear movement the toggle will be thrown into a vertical line, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 5, and thereby cause the rack to rise, and the toggle will hold the rack in that elevated position until it approaches its extreme advance or forward movement. Then the toggle will strike a similar projection at that end of the frame, as represented in Fig. 6, which as the type-bed completes its forward movement will throw the toggle out of vertical line, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 6, and cause the free end of the rack to drop. 'I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to any specific means for raising or lowering the free end of the rack, it only being essential that the rear end of the rack shall be pivoted to the type-bed, while its forward end is adapted to swing up and down.

I claim-- 1. The combination of an impression-cylinder and reciprocating bed of a printing-press, a toothed segment on the end of the cylinder, with a rack on the side of the bed, toothed corresponding to said segment, the said rack hinged by its rear end to the bed, and so as to receive a vibratorymovement in a vertical plane, mechanism, substantially such as described,between the free end of the said rack and the said bed, whereby the up-and-down movement is imparted to said rack, and a point stationary on the frame at each extreme movement of the bed, corresponding to the said mechanism, and with which said mechanism will engage as the bed approaches its two extreme movements, substantially as described, and whereby under such engagement at the termination of the advance movement the said free end of the rack will be dropped and at the extreme retreating movement the free end of the rack will be raised.

2. The combination of tl1ei1npression-cy1inder and reciprocating bed of a printing-press, a toothed segment on the end of the cylinder, with a rack on the side of the bed, toothed corresponding to said segment, the said rack hinged by its rear end to the bed, and so as to receive a vibratory movement in a vertical plane, an oscillating cam E, hung in the bed near the forward or free end of said rack, with described.

STURGES WHITLOCK. Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, FRED G. EARLE. 

